(How Do I Develop a Character’s Voice?)

Banter is a specific subset of dialogue with a teasing or playful tone. It’s dialogue with an edge and sometimes, depending on the characters, it even has teeth.

As a rom-com author, I know my readers expect to find good banter when they open one of my books. But what makes for good banter? To explore what good banter needs to be successful, let’s look at five ways to ruin good banter.

How to Ruin Good Banter in 5 Easy Steps

1. Technical Issues

To write effective banter, it’s important to master the technical parts of dialogue first. Dialogue needs to clearly indicate who’s speaking so the reader doesn’t get confused. Too many dialogue tags, too few, or too many alternative words for “said” can all impact the effectiveness of dialogue.

As you read back through a section of dialogue, check first to make sure it’s clear who is speaking each line. Vary the dialogue tags, gestures (the actions or movements a character makes around a line), and lines that have neither. You can also change up where these indicators are located—at the start, end, or even in the middle of a line of dialogue.

The goal is for the technical setup to be so seamless that readers are never pulled out of the story to notice your hard work.

2. Imitation Conversation

Have you ever read a transcript for an interview? Even the most entertaining conversation loses its shine when recorded word for word. The second way to ruin witty banter is to make it too close to actual dialogue.

As Anne Lamott puts it in Bird by Bird, “You’re not reproducing actual speech—you’re translating the sound and rhythm of what a character says into words. You’re putting down on paper your sense of how the characters speak.” Banter needs to sound like an actual conversation, not be a literal conversation.

3. Bad Rhythm

Like dancing, dialogue doesn’t work without a good sense of rhythm. Banter is snappy and tends to have a faster pace than typical dialogue. But it also needs to be balanced out by various line lengths to avoid sounding stilted and boring.

The best way to test rhythm is to read it out loud. Listening will reveal where the interplay between the characters shines. It will help you see where to slow the pace by adding a dialogue tag or physical gesture—like a character taking a sip of water or fidgeting with something.

Bad rhythm is what stops the banter from bantering.

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4. Lack of Characterization or Uniqueness

The most common piece of advice I hear regarding dialogue is to make each character’s speech be something only they would say. Of course, this isn’t possible for every line of dialogue in a book. But a quick way to ruin banter is to have such generic lines that they could be said by any old character in any old book.

Sometimes when I’m in a groove, writing banter is easy, as though I’m eavesdropping on an actual fictional conversation. Other times, I simply write basic prose in the first draft, then push for more in edits.

Is there another way for a character to say that they’re tired? Is there an analogy or comparison they could use that relates to their job or interests? Does this character have an extensive vocabulary? Do they tend to speak in complete sentences or choppy fragments?

The better you know your characters, the easier it will be to write dialogue that sounds unique and uniquely like them.

5. Missing Subtext

One of the things that makes banter really sing is what the characters aren’t saying. It’s the unspoken current running beneath the words.

How does he really feel about her? What secret is she keeping? Why is he reacting so strongly at this moment?

This work requires not only knowing your characters but keeping in mind their motivations as well as the things they do and don’t really want to say. When writing conversations between Wyatt and Josie in my book If All Else Sails, I tried to remember at all times how they felt about each other, how they each wanted the other person to think they felt, and what they really wished they could say to each other.

While this is subtle work, I think of it like infusing the banter with the kind of depth that really brings it—and the characters—to life.

In her book, Wired for Story, Lisa Cron states that “when a story enthralls us, we are inside of it … and the last thing we’re focusing on is the mechanics of the thing.” Great dialogue—and especially great banter—is usually doing several things at once and doing them so well that readers don’t even notice.

The goal is to work so well at crafting your banter that readers don’t see the hard work—they’re too busy lost in the moment.

Check out Emma St. Clair’s If All Else Sails here:

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(Using Internal Dialogue to Reveal Character.)

That’s not to disparage witty banter between fictional friends and family members, of course—the more WB the better, I always say—but there is something special about two strangers gently and flirtatiously goading each other into mutual smiles, and then mutual feels. It’s one of the things that makes us readers smile goofily at the page, after all.

But how do you write it? Do you have to be a naturally funny person to get it right? Read on for a few quick tips on verbal sparring that could make your next rom-com zing.

1. The tease

I think of teasing as the cornerstone of witty banter. Perhaps the heroine is stick-shift challenged as in my new release Worst in Show or the hero eats his sandwich with a knife and fork like in my debut Love at First Spite, both of which are situations that lend themselves well to a light jab. Find those spots and go for it. Think about what you’d tease your sibling or your friend about (or perhaps there is something your younger self did that you now laugh about) and use those situations to your advantage.

There is a caveat here, however. Whether your love interests already know each other or have just met, whether they are friends or enemies, on some level they must like each other for the tease to land as witty banter. They might not know they like each other just yet, but the underlying feeling still needs to be good-natured. Without that, a tease can quickly sound rude, lose all playfulness, and create a power imbalance. A good way to ensure this doesn’t happen is to also include…

2. Self-deprecating digs

No one likes a person who can only dish it out. One of the main functions of witty banter is to build a quick connection and familiarity between the lovers on the page. After all, as authors we only have so many chapters to work with. 

Characters (like people IRL) who can joke about their own shortcomings are more likely to be perceived as relatable, humble, and friendly, and consequently, that primes us to interpret their teasing as benign. It also adds another quintessential ingredient to the relationship—vulnerability. So why not let your MC crack a joke about her terrible cooking (who doesn’t remember Bridget Jones and the blue soup?), let her love interest agree with a teasing remark, and then build on that, perhaps with another ingredient of witty banter, namely…

3. Puns

My rom-coms tend to be on the more light-hearted side of the angst spectrum, so while I know they’re not for everyone, I love me a cheesy pun. Case in point, Leo in Worst in Show makes liberal use of them as his online alter ego, engaging Cora in a riddle battle that speaks to her childhood nostalgia and thus sets her at ease. Since witty banter adds an aspect of cleverness to the characters, puns are also a great way to show off their quick thinking and situational awareness.

Now, early in a relationship, innocent word puns might feel most natural, but as the romance arc progresses, might I suggest its more risqué cousin, the double entendre? Perfect for upping the flirting game, witty banter with double entendres lets the characters entertain the possibility of moving beyond friendship and tests the romance waters by how their sparring partner reacts. Cue light blushing and meaningful gazes. They might even extend the repartee through intentional misunderstandings (is she talking about cucumbers or cucumbers?) or, my favorite…

4. Surprising honesty

Characters engaged in witty banter must be prepared for anything, but some of the best dialogue comes from one character responding in an unexpected way. Admitting faults, feelings, and/or desires in response to, say, teasing about mismatched socks will take the conversation in new directions that keep both the characters and the readers guessing. Honest communication is energizing, sexy, and inviting—great primers for witty banter.

So why not mix and match? Let your hero and heroine tease a little, twist some words, make a suggestive pun, then bam—truth bomb! Not only will it keep the dialogue fresh, but it infuses the relationship with vitality and forward motion. Because in the end, what we really want is for the two to get to know each other better and to find out how they fit together, and you can’t do that without honesty!

5. Speed

My final tip is more about the craft of writing banter that flows than about its contents. Witty banter runs like water. It’s quick, it’s snappy, and it doesn’t contain excessive information. For me, that means I scrap most dialogue tags. No “he said” “she said.” We typically know who is talking anyway, and if needed, an action beat does the trick—a sassy tilt of the chin, a raised eyebrow, or maybe a suppressed smile to avoid letting your rival know you’re melting a little at his wordplay.

I also highly recommend scrapping first names in dialogue, and never more so than in the banter-y kind. If only two people are conversing, their words (and, if needed, an action beat) should make clear who is talking, and if you listen to conversations around you, most people do not use first names when talking to their friends and partners. It just doesn’t sound natural.

Which brings me to my concluding recommendation. If you want to write witty banter that readers will love, read your dialogue out loud to yourself. It should be concise, roll off your tongue, and make you smile. Bonus points if you read it to someone else and it makes them smile. That’s when you know you’ve really done it—you’ve nailed your witty banter.

No pun intended. 

Check out Anna E. Collins’ Worst in Show here:

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In order for writers to make readers invested in our characters’ happily-ever-after, in order to make them care about the fact that there’s (gasp!) only one bed, we have important work to do. We need to make readers like—or at least root for—our love interests and their burgeoning relationship, and we need to demonstrate why these characters belong together.

And fun, swoon-worthy banter is an essential tool for making that happen. Here are some tips to help you (and your characters) develop an A+ banter game.

(3 Tips for Writing a Love Story Featuring a Prickly and Pessimistic Heroine)

1) Listen to how people speak.

This is my #1 tip for learning to write dialogue well. You’re writing about people, so listen to people. Whether you’re waiting in line for coffee, hurrying through the airport, or wandering the cereal aisle at the grocery store, pay attention to how the people around you speak to one another. What words, tone, and body language do they use? How do they respond to each other?

Your characters are fictional, but in order for readers to care about them, they need to feel like real people. And they can’t feel real if they engage with each other in dialogue that sounds stilted or unnatural (unless, of course, they’re on a bad first date, because we’ve all been there!).

Yes, your characters are going to fire off clever comebacks and snappy retorts quicker than a real person would, and that’s necessary to write an entertaining story. But the closer attention you pay to the way people communicate, the more you’ll be able to write dialogue that sounds natural, real, and relatable. And if you feel awkward listening in, just remember, you’re not eavesdropping; you’re studying.

2) Keep it (mostly) good-natured.

Banter is supposed to make your characters and readers feel good. It’s playful, flirty, and fun, and while your characters should have free reign to tease each other, they shouldn’t tear each other down. After all, they like—or are starting to like—each other, and banter is a veiled way for them to explore those feelings.

Having A rib Character B about their reality TV obsession? Sure, yes, fun. Having Character B relentlessly mock Character A for their stage fright before a big presentation? No, thank you. Remember, your characters may start out guarded or even antagonistic, but they shouldn’t be mean. Very few readers will root for mean primary characters, let alone want to spend a whole book with them. So, keep the tension feisty, not ferocious.

3) Make it personal.

Part of what makes banter so fun is that it reveals something important: Your characters are paying attention—close attention—to each other. Perhaps one character overhears the other talking about a dorky hobby and teases them about it.

On the surface, your character is poking fun at their love interest for being a zealous Parkour champion. But underneath the whip-smart barbs, your character is revealing something important: I’m paying attention to you, love interest. I’m listening to what you say and learning what you like, and my breath catches every time you enter the room.

Take this excerpt from my rom-com Lucy on the Wild Side. In this book, my main character Lucy, a zookeeper, has to spend a summer working with Kai, the host and producer of a popular wildlife TV show. They get off on the wrong foot; Lucy thinks Kai’s obsessed with ratings, and Kai thinks she’s a stubborn workaholic who watches too much reality TV. When Lucy overhears Kai’s phone call, she can’t resist the opportunity to poke at him, and all bets are off when he can’t help but poke right back.

“That didn’t seem like a fun phone call,” I say, deciding that two can play at this game. “Poor thing, was it Prince William? Did he call to say you aren’t his very favorite boy anymore?”

Kai shakes his head. “Good try, but no. It was a producer from Fresh Air scheduling an interview for the fall.”

“Fresh Air with Terry Gross?” I ask, annoyed that I’ll have to skip an episode.

He grins. “That’s the one. I’m guessing you’re a fan? Well, good to know reality TV isn’t the only media you consume.”

I fix him with a benevolent smile. “I wouldn’t be so quick to criticize reality TV, since your show could technically be classified as such.”

His smirk disappears, and I mentally high-five myself for managing to hit a nerve. “On the Wild Side is an educational docuseries, Lucy,” he says tightly. “Let’s not compare it to The Kardashians.”

“I actually think you have a lot in common with the Kardashians,” I muse, thrusting the knife in deeper. “Your name starts with a K, for starters. And they’ve won an Emmy, too.”

“They haven’t.” Kai drops his hands from the back of his head and fixes me with a look that could melt whatever frozen Antarctic ice ridge he bragged about spending a week on.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure they have.” I’m talking entirely out of my ass, but Kai’s lips are twisted like he’s sucking on a black cherry Warhead, so I wave a carefree hand at him and keep going. “Or maybe it was a Teen Choice Award. Oh well. They’re basically the same thing, right? Tomato, ta-mah–to.”

Kai clenches his jaw like he’s on the verge of a stroke, and even though Sam and Elle would seriously disapprove of my behavior, it’s too satisfying to stop once I’ve started.

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What’s key here is that Lucy and Kai demonstrate that they’ve been observing each other pretty closely. They use things they’ve learned about each other, like Lucy’s fondness for reality shows and Kai’s mention of his relationship with the royals, to get under each other’s skin. Sure, they’re bickering, but what they’re actually revealing is that they listen to and care about the other one’s words, preferences, and behaviors. Through their dialogue, they demonstrate their awareness of how the other moves through the world.

4) Build toward something more.

Banter is fun, but on its own it isn’t enough to help your characters’ relationship journey reach a satisfying conclusion. Think of banter as the delicious appetizer that sets your palate up for a four-course meal; witty exchanges and flirty comments increase romantic tension, but beneath their lighthearted quips, your characters should be fully fleshed-out people with flaws, insecurities, and authentic struggles. And at some point, they need to share these deeper versions of themselves with each other. This is when you need to put the banter aside, at least temporarily, to let your characters have more complex, layered interactions.

In Lucy on the Wild Side, for example, Lucy and Kai both have big career dreams and complicated relationships with their moms. When they stop trading wisecracks and start revealing these hidden parts of themselves, their relationship deepens in a meaningful way. Part of what makes banter so enjoyable is readers’ anticipation that sooner or later, the characters will stop playing around and get serious. Banter is an important prelude to the emotional payoff readers receive when this finally happens, but without genuine conflict and vulnerability between your characters, your story won’t feel authentic.

So, there you have it: My foolproof guide to writing better banter. Now go forth, read widely, and practice! Because just like our stories, writers are a work in progress, and we need practice to make those stories come alive. But try not to stress too much; after all, writing—like a good round of banter—should be fun.

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